HARTFORD, Conn. — Fresh off helping the UConn men’s basketball team to a national championship, superstar sophomore Jordan Hawkins declared for the NBA draft, he announced Friday sitting alongside head coach Dan Hurley on ESPN’s NBA Today.
“After having long talks with my coaching staff and my family,” Hawkins’ announcement started. “I’d like to thank God first and foremost, I’d like to thank my family for all the support and I would like to thank Coach Hurley for believing in me. That being said, I’ll be declaring for the 2023 NBA draft.”
Hawkins, a Gaithersburg, Md., native, averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists for UConn this season while shooting 38.8% from the 3-point line. A skilled sharpshooter, Hawkins’ 3-point ability is the main reason he’s projected to be a first-round pick.
After two years growing under Hurley, Hawkins is expected to be the second first-round pick out of the UConn program in the last five years after James Bouknight was drafted No. 11 overall in 2021.
